How to Visit Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Local transportation and entry fees are very affordable, but professionally guided tours often charge three to four hundred dollars per person, per day. In this article, we will explore how to save yourself thousands of dollars by arranging your Machu Picchu visit yourself.
Machu Picchu Tickets
It is possible to purchase and print almost everything you need to visit Machu Picchu from the comfort of your home computer. It is better to arrange as much as possible at home so that your bank or credit card provider doesn't deny the charges from Peru as fraudulent. You will need the following items for your visit to Machu Picchu:
• Transportation to Ollantaytambo
• Train ticket from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu Pueblo
• Entry ticket to Machu Picchu
Transportation to Ollantaytambo
Machu Picchu is only accessible by train or by foot. There is no road transportation available to the site. There is a train available from Cusco to Machu Picchu Pueblo, but it is much less expensive and shorter to take the train from Ollantaytambo.
Local transportation is very inexpensive in Peru, and you can schedule a ride from Cusco to Ollantaytambo for around $100 for a group or $30 for an individual. The drive takes about an hour and a half.
Train Ticket from Ollantaytambo
Peru Rail offers tickets from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu Pueblo for less than $100 round trip. You can schedule and purchase the tickets on the Peru Rail web page, and then you can print the tickets to present upon arrival. Be sure to always have your passport with you when presenting tickets at historical sites, hotels, and trains in Peru.
Entry Ticket to Machu Picchu
The Peruvian government has a web page that allows you to schedule, purchase, and print your Machu Picchu entry tickets. This is similar to doing an online check-in for a flight. Tickets are available with a scheduled time of entry, and you are allowed four hours in the park, although the time limit is not rigorously enforced. Make sure to present your passport along with your ticket upon entry.
It is Affordable to Visit Machu Picchu
Entry tickets to Machu Picchu are available for around $50 for international travelers, and there is a special price for citizens of select South American countries. Once you have arrived at Machu Picchu Pueblo, you can either walk up to the ruins or purchase a seat on the transportation buses. The buses leave every five minutes, so there is no need for a reservation. The walk takes about two hours.
Visiting Machu Picchu is a very affordable vacation, and most of the residents of Cusco, Machu Picchu Pueblo, and the ruin site itself speak some amount of English. The Peruvian people are very courteous to tourists of the Sacred Valley, and you can have a great adventure and save yourself a lot of money by organizing your own Machu Picchu tour.